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A. A. RHEUTAN.

BNVELOPB GOUNTING MACHINERY.

N0. 335,245. Patented Feb. Z, 1886.

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FUNTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

ABRAM A. BHEUTAN, OF VOBCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. HILL, OF SAME 'PLAGE ENVELOPE-CGUNTlNG MACHENERY.

SFECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,245, dated February 2,1886.

Application filed June 22, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Annan A. RHEUTAN, of W'orcester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Counting Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for counting and packing envelopes in which a finger projecting into the line of travel of the envelopes, as they are carried forward to form the pack, operates, through a rock-shaft and lever-connection, to set a pawl into engagement with the tooth of a counting-wheel which is to be moved forward one tooth for each envelope that passes, and thereby, through appropriate mechanism of well-known form, assort the passing envelopes into packages of a predetermined number, each package having its distinctive location'. A machine of this class is shown in Reissue Letters Patent No. 9,755, granted to me June lll, 1881.

My present invention relates to improvements in the speeie mechanism whereby the motion of the passing envelope is made to set the pawl into engagement with a tooth of the counting-wheel, so that when driven forward by a regularly-moving sliding bar or its equivalent the counting-wheel will be moved one tooth.

In the drawings, Figure l shows in vertical section a side view, and Fig. 2 a top plan view, of a machine embodying my present invention in the form now best known to me,the bed being broken away to show the working parts.

ln these figures only such parts are shown as are required to illustrate the invention. The devices for forwarding the envelope, and also those whereby the motion of the counting-wheel is made to sort the successive packages of envelopes, being any wellknown mechanism for this purpose, are omitted for the sake of elearness.

A represents the counting-wheel; B, the iinger projecting into the path of motion of the envelope; C, the rock-shaft to which it is attachcd, and to which is also attached an arm or crank, D. To this piece D is hinged a con- Serial No. 160,387. (No model.)

necting-rod, E, the other extremity of which carries pivoted loosely upon it a pawl, F. The arm D is also so constructed that when it is moved radially by an envelope striking the finger B it not only raises the connecting-rod E, but also abuts against it and throws it forward into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l. This throws the pawl F forward one tooth upon the counting-wheel, and also within the range of motion of a suitablyformed slider, G. To this a constant to-andfro motion is given by any suitable connection with the main shaft or other regularly-moving part ofthe machine in the well-known manner. The forward motion of this slider G is so timed relatively to the motion of the forwarding devices by which the envelopes are carried through the machine and past the iinger B that after the pawl F has been thereby moved forward one tooth upon the countingwheel the slider G moves up, engages with the pawl, and thereby moves the countingwheel the distance of one tooth. \Vhen, however, an envelope fails to pass the linger B, the pawl F not being thrown forward, as described, the slider does not reach it, and consequently the counting-wheel is not moved. By virtue of this construction the countingwheel is caused to move one tooth and no more for each envelope that passes, and also not to be moved exceptwhen an envelope passes, this being the operation desired to be obtained in machines of this class.

T claim- In a machine for counting and packing envelopes,the combination ofthe counting-wheel A, the linger B, rock-shaft C, arm or crank D, connecting-rod E, pawl F, and a slider, G, having a constant reciprocating motion and adapted to move the counting-wheel A one tooth through the intervention of the pawl F, when operated by means of the devices described and in the manner set forth.

In testimony' whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of June, A. D. 1885.

ABRAM A. RHEUTAN. litnesses:

J. HENRY TAYLOR, E. B. ToMLTNsoN. 

